CH 174

Regis scoured his surroundings once he returned to the mansion.

‘Looks like Max took care of everything,’ he noted, then he made his way to Jubelian’s room without a sound.

‘Is she sleeping?’ he looked for his beloved daughter for a moment only to find that she was buried in blankets with her eyes closed. To his surprise, she was grinding her teeth in her sleep.

‘Grinding your teeth, huh…’

At that moment, Jubelian muttered quietly, “Mikhail, you b*stard… This isn’t the end.”

Regis smiled faintly.

“Daddy!”

Whenever she would reach out her tiny hands for a hug, he would gently embrace her, all the while afraid she might break. Such memories were still vivid in Regis’ mind, but in reality, Jubelian was approaching adulthood.

‘Where has the time gone…?’

On the days he would return from slaughtering countless lives, he would suffer from insomnia—if not—nightmares.

“Dear Moon, please give a warm hug to my daddy and take away his nightmares.”

Despite the clumsy lullaby she would sing as a child, it was the only thing that would put Regis to sleep.

‘She was a haven I didn’t deserve.’

Regis gazed at Jubelian with tender eyes for a moment. Organizing her messy hair sprawled out on the bed, he murmured, “I would do anything for you.” Suppressing the indistinct fear inside him, Regis tried to turn around. That was when Jubelian grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t go,” she mumbled. Regis stood still, startled by the soft voice. The girl repeated, “Daddy, don’t… Don’t go…”

After hastily observing her face, Regis smiled bitterly. She was talking in her sleep. He wondered if she knew a single word from her could take him from heaven to hell in an instant. He didn’t want her to remember the past, but on the other hand, he wanted her to run toward him freely like she used to. Regis realized he was a hideous and greedy being for wanting such a thing.

Holding back the words he wanted so desperately to say, Regis slowly withdrew his hand from Jubelian’s.

‘Yes, this is all for you,’ he convinced himself.

* * *

“Jubell.”

Before me was a scene of my father standing toward me with his arms open. I didn’t know what I was so excited about, but I was giggling as I jumped into his arms. How I addressed him brought chills to my spine.

“Daddy!” I called. I never remembered calling him that endearment. It was also absurd that I was riding on his shoulders, yelling “giddyup!” Maybe it was because I was interacting so closely with my father—which had never happened—but I seemed to be in a good mood.

Soon, the screen flashed red, and the scenery changed.

I was not the joyful self I had seen anymore. Instead, I was crying—terrified of something.

“No! Stay away! I’m scared!” I shrieked. The person I was vehemently rejecting was surprisingly my father. What was even more astonishing was that he was looking at me with an anguished expression. It was rare for such a cold-hearted person to show such an emotion.

“I’m sorry,” he said, forcing a smile. Then, he turned his back toward me.

Only then did I realize my mistake. ‘No, that’s not what I meant. Don’t go. Please don’t leave me.’ I tried to follow him, but my body didn’t listen, and he moved further and further away.

‘No, Daddy. Don’t go!’

Everything turned black.

* * *

I opened my eyes—only to realize my head was throbbing and tears were running down my cheeks. Why was I crying? I must have had a nightmare to cry like this, but strangely, I couldn’t remember anything.

In any case, it seemed that I woke up earlier than usual today. The dawn was faintly visible in the still-dark sky. I contemplated whether or not to go back to bed for a moment before deciding I would try to live as a morning person for today.

After getting up, I clasped my hands together to stretch my arms and shoulders. Suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu, I involuntarily looked at my hands. Light from outside shone through the gaps between my fingers. I slowly lowered my hands and opened the window to let in the fresh morning air.

Max had confessed yesterday… and Father had strangely stood up for me. A lot of things had happened all of a sudden, but I had a feeling they would all work out for the best.

Just like that, a new day began.

* * *

After listening to the report from Count Pyrex—the captain of the royal guards—the emperor questioned his aide with a bitter face.

“So, you are saying that those I sent to spy on the duke have gone missing?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Did the duke kill them?”

The count shook his head and answered, “The contact was lost after yesterday’s report which said the duke had left the mansion for unknown business.”

“What about the knights?”

“The spies reported that the most skilled ones had not left the mansion.”

Even the most talented swordsmen had been unable to identify these informants in the past. That meant the person who had dealt with the agents was extremely gifted. The emperor distorted his expression.

‘Damn it, who was it? Did the duke ally with another faction?’

As he was engulfed in nervousness, the door to his study swung open.

“Good morning, Father!”

Adding to the turmoil was his son who had barged in without notice. The emperor’s face crumpled.